Demon Kisser
by BadFiction
Summary: I kissed Sabaku no Gaara. I was going to be known as the girl who kissed the Demon boy for the rest of my life...


**Demon Kisser**

**Authors Note: For long time readers you might notice that there are a lot of changes in the story. I've changed so I thought it only fair that Nene should change also and have reflected that in my writing. But the theme to DK is still the same. I hope you like it :)**

**Ch. 1 Kiss:**

_Nene: Pronounced Neh-neh._

**OooOooO**

_Okay focus, _I told myself. _Breathe in—breathe out—breathe in—breathe out—_Some might say it's unorthodox to start in the middle of a story without first introducing the facts or characters, but I was two seconds away from hyperventilating and could care less about such practicalities.

Unfortunately, what I cared about didn't matter and didn't change the fact that I was currently staring death in the face. A pale face, with porcelain skin and perfectly proportioned features. One could almost say it was the face of an angel if it weren't for the hideously scarred skin on his forehead and darkness in his eyes that told of the many ways he had killed and would like to kill again.

I guess that's why the saying goes to remind us that demons were once angels too. And lucky me I caught the attention of the one demon I had hoped to go my whole life without meeting; Sabaku no Gaara.

All because I was the only one who didn't run away.

I wanted to—God knows I wanted to; but for some reason as the rest of the villagers around me fled for their lives abandoning what _had_ been a peaceful festival—I just didn't see the point. If he really wanted to kill us, we wouldn't be able to outrun his sand anyway, so why make death that much more painful for myself? If I was going to die, I wanted it to be as quick as possible.

And I wanted the honor of a Shinobi death; not to be remembered for running away like a coward.

At least that's what I kept telling myself as I sat sipping my tea, unable to do anything else due to the crippling fear that kept me frozen to my spot and alone in the town square; with the exception of one other person, of course.

_Damn, who would have thought my curse would cause this much trouble?_

A living doll, that's what they tend to call you when you're incapable of showing true emotion: a puppet with no strings, or a manikin with many masks. The people are wrong though, I feel emotion—more than most I'd be willing to wager—I'm just incapable of showing it.

Not that it mattered. I could see into the eyes of those who stayed close enough to see what would become of me, but hidden far enough away to not meet the same fate. Fear settled deep in those eyes. No one would try to save me even if I screamed for help. I was on my own.

_Fucking cowards, every last one of them._

Though, to be fair, you really can't expect much from civilians—but the Shinobi among them should know better.

As for me, I would just keep focusing on this delicious cup of green tea and pray that he ignored my presence.

"What's your name?"

_So much for that plan…_

That was the first time I heard his voice. Barely above a whisper, raspy in a way that indicated he didn't speak much, and a tone that hinted at boredom.

Though he wasn't really bored, he was focused. Very, very focused and waiting for an answer.

I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "Nene"

_Exhale…_

"Nene" It seemed he was repeating my name more to himself out of curiosity than anything else. Inwardly, I shivered at the sound of my name rolling of his tongue in the same way you would talk about a lizard or desert animal you were about to slay.

But to my surprise, he didn't smite me down on the spot. Instead he only turned around and started walking away.

Now, I was confused.

He only wanted to know my name?

Not that I was complaining; I was still alive after all. It was just strange that the monster I had heard about my entire life—the same monster that terrorized the villagers of Suna and killed for no reason at all—only wanted to know my name. It was too . . . odd.

I was about to let out a sigh of relief at the growing distance between I and his retreating form—up until he stopped walking and turned his focus back in my direction. Two words were all it took to change my life forever. "Follow me."

And I did.

Because when Sabaku no Gaara asks you to do something; you do it.

**OooOooO**

It's strange having the eyes of half the residents of Suna on your back when you knew the only reason they're watching is because they are waiting for your execution.

Because why else would the demon host of Suna lead me to a secluded rooftop except to make a public example of someone who dared to speak to his face.

_I should have just run!_

_No! Remember! There is nothing honorable about being a coward!_

_There is nothing honorable about dying on a rooftop either…_

_Well it's too late now. He's speaking again._

"Are you listening to me?"

His face was turned away from me, but his eyes were fixed on me in the coldest way possible. He was angry that I would even dare to ignore him when he spoke.

I nodded quickly because I didn't know what else to do. It all felt like a bad dream, but if he was talking then he wasn't killing.

"How old are you?" He continued again.

Shock threatened to take me over. First he wanted to know my name and now he was curious about my age? What kind of game was this boy playing at?

Still, I again answered quickly. I didn't want to keep him waiting. "I just turned fourteen."

"Interesting, I'm thirteen."

It was just a simple statement; just a fact. But to me it was the strangest thing I had ever heard. Sure I knew that the demon vessel of Suna was only a boy. I had seen him before—at a much further distance than our current one—but it had never registered that he might be _younger_ than me. Just like everyone else in the academy and in Suna, I had assumed he was closer to adulthood than the rest of us.

It just didn't seem possible for someone so young to do all the things that the stories said he did. I was just a child when I heard the story about him killing his uncle. That would have made him a child when he did it. A child with the heartlessness of a murderer; I could feel the slight traces of a shiver running up my spine, but that was impossible. Outward fear was something I could never feel.

He addressed me again, this time turning to face me, and I found myself wondering what I looked like through his eyes. I wondered if demons saw the world in the same light as everyone else. Do they even have light in their world? "I want you to do something for me."

My eyebrow twitched slightly out of habit. What could he possibly want me to do that he couldn't do himself? "I'm listening, I suppose."

He did nothing but stare for what seemed like a lifetime and I used the opportunity to look at him—really look at him—and I found myself entrapped by his eyes of all things. From this close distance they were mesmerizing to look at, standing out from the rest of his pale features and setting off the unusual colors in his hair. At the same time I couldn't seem to tell if they were green or blue or some kind of combination in-between. I couldn't help but admit with a silent grudge that up close he wasn't as horrifyingly repulsive or disfigured as I had always imagined the monster of Suna to be—for someone who brought fear in so many, he was surprisingly quite attractive.

_But,_ I reminded myself, _He's deadly; very, very deadly._

I waited patiently for him to speak again, something that I was beginning to think may have been a difficult task for the demon; or maybe he was just unaccustomed to conversing with another living soul. It seemed as if he was observing me as well, trying to predict my reaction to whatever he had to say, no doubt. Finally he spoke in such a quite whisper that I had to lean forward to hear him completely. "You didn't run like the others. You stayed calm when I spoke with you. And you were even brave enough to follow me when I ask. But I wonder… would you be brave enough and still be able to keep that calm demeanor about you, if I asked you to kiss me?"

For the first time in my life my eyes widened in shock and I stuttered. "Y-you want me to _kiss_ you?"

_The hell? Now I knew I was having a dream; a very, very odd and terrifying dream._

He didn't move at first; just stood with his arms across his chest, like he hadn't just asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. Eventually, he uncrossed his arms and slowly closed the gap of space protecting the precious distance I had hoped would keep us apart.

"Yes." Hot breath from that one word answer blew the stray strands of hair out of my face and sealed my fate.

I was at a loss of what to say. I was at a loss of what to do. Sabaku no Gaara had just asked me to _kiss_ him. This was not a situation I had been prepared for at the academy. Honestly, I don't think this was a situation that anyone ever expected.

I mean, this was Sabaku no Gaara. He didn't like girls. He liked blood. The only reason I could think of that he would even be putting me in this situation would be because—

_It has to be a test._

I paused at that thought. Even if it were a test, it still left the question of why? Why would he choose me?

He could have singled out any other girl in Suna. And Suna had its share of gorgeous Kunoichi. Yet, I was the one standing on the rooftop having a mental breakdown.

Sure I had long, curly, blond—almost white from sun exposer—hair, but most of the time it was tied in a loose bun. My eyes were a shade of honey that was rare for this region, but lifeless due to my curses inability to show emotion. And like everyone else, I was dressed like a Shinobi.

Nothing about me stood out enough for the demon to be asking me such an odd request.

_Except_ I reminded myself again, _that I had been the only one to not run away._

_Damn._ I was sure regretting my actions now. I would almost rather death to this. Then again, if I refuse he'd probably be more than happy to comply

I must have been thinking things over in my head longer than I thought, because a low growl interrupted my thoughts and brought my attention back to the one person whom had succeeded in turning my brain into a pile of perplexed mush.

"Well?" he asked again sharply.

There was really no choice. If I wanted to live, I was going to have to kiss him.

I started counting backwards to prepare myself.

_Three._

I tilted my head back—not far, because we were almost the same height—and once again met his eyes. Even now, with less than a few inches between us, I still couldn't make out the eye color.

_Two._

The sand beneath our feet shifted in anticipation; or maybe a sign of the demon's own fear? Either way it was the only reaction I had from him and I almost laughed at the silly assumption that he might be nervous of what I might choose. Yet the proof was hard to ignore. I wondered if he even knew how much he had given away with his sand.

_One_.

All I had to do was lean forward. I closed my eyes and did just that. As my lips pressed against his I tried not to gasp. I had made it this far there was no point in backing out now.

And honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined.

A part of me thought that his lips would be rough and hard, maybe even freezing cold; something that would represent his murderous heart.

Instead, they were warm and soft; human. I had forgotten that Sabaku no Gaara _was_ human; even if he was also a demon vessel.

I pulled away from him slowly; still careful to keep the blank mask that was naturally a part of my features. He was watching my every move after all and it would be a shame to suddenly show my fear now and fail whatever game he had created.

"Did I pass?" It had only been a simple kiss, but he wasn't really specific. And it obviously wasn't about the kiss, but something that I hadn't quite figured out yet.

"For now." I heard him say, but there no longer stood a boy; only bits of sand flying in the wind.

He was gone and I was finally allowed to process my own thoughts about what had just happened.

I had kissed a boy.

A boy named Sabaku no Gaara.

The demon of Suna.

I was the first known girl in Suna to kiss the demon boy.

"Oh God" I whispered as I did the one thing I should have done from the beginning.

I ran.

**OooOooO**

Edit: 9-9-13


End file.
